Hello everyone!  Welcome to the Iditarod!  I’m so glad you are a rookie this year.  I look forward to these next few months and seeing you on the trail during the race. 

I am sorry that I can’t be there to meet you in person today.

If I were there today, I’d ask you, when did you first hear about the Iditarod?  Did any of you first hear about it in school?  Almost every year, at least one rookie first became aware of Iditarod in school or from a book that they read.

I’d be interested in your story, what is it that has drawn you to this moment?

You might not realize it, but from now through the end of March, classrooms around the world are studying about the race and learning about the mushers and of course the dogs.  My job is to help teachers discover Iditarod related lessons for math, science, literacy, and other curriculum areas, so they can teach students what they need to learn in a unique and engaging way. 

As an Iditarod racer, a rookie, you are a part of that learning.

Our Iditarod EDU team puts lots of lessons and information about the race on our ITC EDU website.  One example is that we share out the origin  of the race.  Joe Redington, Sr. started this race for 2 reasons.

The Iditarod does not commemorate the Serum Run, as you might have seen in the media or even on a website.  Here’s a link to important information about the origin of the race.  Click here!

(ITC EDU website:  https://iditarod.com/edu/  and ITC EDU Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/IditarodEducation/)

To students who are following the race, you are heroes. 

They look up to you and admire you for what you are doing. When the 2020 Iditarod starts this year, those students will be following you.   They are actually following you already, reading your bio to learn about you, googling you, formulating questions about why you are doing this, and getting excited for the start of the race. 

These students and young adults will be cheering you on and looking up to as you meet the challenges that you face.  They will be with you in spirit as you leave the starting line, as you travel through each check point, and as you take your mandatory rest stops.  They’ll be watching the clock waiting for your departure time. Should your GPS tracker not show you moving, they’ll start sending you positive thoughts. When you arrive in Nome, they’ll be glued to the Nome camera and watching you.  You are a hero and they look up to you.

AND as the students meet challenges in their own lives, they’ll do so in a better way because of you.  By following you this year and following the race, the students will have learned that they can work towards reaching goals and meet challenges because, after all, they saw you do that. 

So you are playing an important role in the lives of the children and youth.  You are helping them learn what they are supposed to learn and more than that, they are learning what it takes to work towards goals.

Get ready!  At the end of the race, you’ll get mail.  You might get a LOT of mail from students all around the country.   Teachers will get your postal mail address from me and the teacher is required to send self-addressed stamped envelopes with the student mail.   I hope you take time to answer their mail, even if it’s a very brief note. 

Should you have any questions about our education program, don’t hesitate, contact me.   If you are willing to interact with students by Skype, interested in a school or classroom ‘adopting you’ to help raise funds for something you need, or know of a school I should reach out to, please let me know.  These classroom – musher partnerships can be pretty cool.  I know of students who have raised money to help supply mushers with warm socks, dog booties, or other important items.

One of my other important areas of responsibility is IditaRider fundraiser that started December 1. 

What you need to know about IditaRider program:

As you most likely know, our IditaRider auction is going on right now.   This is one of Iditarod’s major fund raisers each year.  People bid to ride in your sled during the ceremonial start on Saturday, March 7.

Go to this link: https://www.iditarodauction.com

Find your photo and click on your name.  You’ll be able to see information about the status of any bids on your sled. 

The auction closes on January 17.

I will contact you after the auction so you know who your rider will be. 

It’s important to remember: these riders are our VIP race fans. 

Please do everything in your power to make sure your rider has a comfortable ride (some musher bring a blanket for the riders to cover up with, or a pillow for them to sit on) and help them have an amazing and fun ride.  They are vips and we appreciate every effort you make to help them have the experience they are looking for!  In past years, some riders have become a musher’s sponsor, with nice size donations to their kennel.  AND once, an IditaRider’s daughter was introduced to the musher and a year later, the musher and the IditaRider’s daughter got married.  Just saying, you never know what door may open with your IditaRider. 

Big thanks in advance for helping this day and ride be a memorable event for your rider.

It’s also important that you know that sometime in late December or early January, I will be pulling 8 or 10 sleds from the auction.   These sleds are used for sponsors or special vips, and used in reserve as needed.    The sleds I pull will be sleds with no bid at the time of the pull.  So if you know of a special friend, relative, or race fan planning to buy your sled in the auction, but waiting to bid until the final day, tell them to place a bid now or it’s possible your sled will be one of the sleds used in our special pull for VIP customers.

Ok, now the part I’m sure you are waiting for:

HOMEWORK: (I’m a teacher, so, you knew it would be coming, just a little homework for you.)

1. Visit the auction site and remind your friends, family, and race fans that your sled is for sale.  Share out on your facebook page or twitter page that your sled is available.  Thanks for doing that!
2. Take a selfie of you and your lead dog(s). I’ll be emailing you with a request for this photo for use on our Edu website and social media.  Be ready!
3. Watch for an email from me with additional information.
4. Contact me if you have any questions. djohnson@iditarod.com  or call 605.290.3423

 

 

Good luck as you train and race your rookie Iditarod.  Each one of you has a story to share right now, about what your journey to this point has been.   From this day forward, you will be adding to your story.  Make it a great one!

Diane Johnson

Director of Education

IditaRider Coordinator

Social Media Team Member

djohnson@iditarod.com